Since the release of his last recording Ma Ya in 1998, Koite has grown from being one of Africa's best kept secrets to become an international star and one of the leading figures in contemporary world music. Baro is a deeply moving album that takes the music of Mali in new and exciting directions. Koite has been praised in hundreds of newspapers and magazines, including People, Rolling Stone and The New York Times. He has been featured on major national radio and television programs such NPR's "All Things Considered," PRI's "The World," and "CNN WorldBeat." Koite became one of the few African artists to break into mainstream pop radio with his popular single "Wassiye." Among his expanding legions of devoted fans are Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt. Baro continues where Ma Ya left off, with a set of haunting melodies and virtuoso guitar playing. Habib is backed by Keletigui Diabate, Mali's undisputed king of the balafon (a West African wooden-keyed xylophone), who recorded with Lionel Hampton in the 1960s. With the support of the rest of the talented members of Bamada, Koite swings from the Cuban-influenced grooves of "Batoumanbe" to the ethereal and entrancing "Sinamaw." The acoustic, unadorned arrangements reflect centuries of Malian tradition, while incorporating subtle Western influences to create songs that appeal to people from all walks of life. Baro even includes a new, Latin-style version of Koite's first hit "Cigarette A Bana," the track that made him a star in West Africa and earned him the prestigious Radio France International Discoveries Prize in 1992.
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